Mill layout



June 8, 1965 E. c. PETERSON ETAL MILL LAYOUT Filed Nov. 13, 1962 6Sheets$heet 1 INVENTORS EDWARD C. PETERSON WILLIAM H. BOBLITZ BYATTORNEY- June 8, 1965 E. c. PETERSON ETAL 8 MILL LAYOUT Filed Nov. 15,1962 e Sheets-Sheet 2 Egg/ VTL

'LTTH INVENTORS M EDWARD C. PETERSON WILLIAM H. BOBLITZ June 8, 1965 E.c. PETERSON ETAL 3,187,541

MILL LAYOUT Filed Nov. 13, 1962 e Sheets-Sheet s a l g k}. C k #:j- :"j

N\\ N l G INVENTORS EDWARD C. PETERSON June 8, 1965 I E. c. PETERSONETAL 3,

MILL LAYOUT 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV- 13, 1962 INVENTORS EDWARD C.PETERSON WILLIAM H. BOBLITZ J1me 1965 E. c. PETERSON ETAL 3,187,541

MILL LAYOUT 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 13, 1962 INVENTORS EDWARD C.PETERSON WILLIAM H. BOBLITZ fil U. M&\ van I. I I w \w\ Q L a L? L \m ww\\ \w June 8, 1965 E. c. PETERSON ETAL 3,137,541

MILL LAYOUT 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed NOV. 13, 1962 United States Patent FThe present invention relates to mill layouts for metal rolling mills.

A purpose of the invention is to increase the flexibility in operating ametal rolling mill.

A further purpose is to permit installation of the equipment of a metalrolling mill in stages, so that a reasonable degree of utility can beobtained with a minimum of equipment at the beginning and greaterutility can be se Patented June 8, 1965 2 the portion of the mill of'thesecond form to the right of that shown in FIGURE 2' in the second set ofdrawings.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan mill layout showing the third form ,ofinstallation of the mill of the invention,

.. the view illustrating the portion of the mill to the left of thethird set of drawings. a

cured with a minimum of additional equipment and employing double orconjoint use of as much ofthe equipment as possible.

A further purpose is to reduce the time in changing the rolls whenchanging from one product to another in metal rolling mills. j

A further purpose is to provide a roughing mill which discharges to afirst mill table in line with the roughing mill, which in turndischarges toa continuous mill in prolongation of the first mill table,which in turn feedsthe inlet to a looping finishing mill which has-afinishing stand in line with and feedingito' a second mill table whichconnectsto a cooling bed, andthento provide a lateral transfer from thefirst mill table to feed an intermediate .roll stand which is in linewith the finishing stand of the looping finishing mill and also'in linewith the second mill table.

A further purpose is to provide a second roughing mill stand which willcooperate with the lateral transfer and the intermediate mill stand. i

A further purpose is to employ an intermediate mill which is larger thanthe finishing stand of the looping finishing mill and to replace thefinishing stand of the looping finishing mill with a larger mill standat the same position.

A further purpose is to use a continuous finishing mill which has both ahorizontal mill stand and a vertical edger. a A further purpose is tomake one or more repeaters and guides of the looping finishing millslide out of the way to permit the stock from the continuousfinishingmillto enter the finishing stand of the looping finishing mill.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims. I r i aIn the drawings I have chosen to illustrate one only of the numerousembodiments in which the invention may appear, selecting the form shownfrom the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactoryoperation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURES 1 and 1a comprise a first set of drawings,

FIGURE 32: is a plan mill layout showing the third I 1 form of theinstallation of the mill equipment, and illustrating the portion oftheequipment in the center of the third set of drawings, FIGURE 311 beingto the right of FIGURE 3. t

FIGURE 3b is a plan mill layout showing the third form of installationof the mill equipment, the portion shown being to the right of thatillustrated in FIGURE 3a in the third set of drawings.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view showing an alternate layout for the loopingfinishing mill.

Because of the large capital invested, many rolling mills find itdiflicult to expand to produce a diversified product line. Many of theexisting mill layouts are objectionable because the layouts are notflexible as to the production of difierent types of rolled stock. Oneof'the advantages of the invention is to give a wide diversity of typesof stock which can be produced.

Also many of theprior art rolling mills are not effective 1 fromthestandpoint of utilization of mill equipment when changing fromone typeof product to another. In such prior art mills a large proportion ofthetotal equipment is inactive when a limited number of productlines arebeingproduced. The present invention is concerned particularly withmaking double or conjoint use of equipment wherever possible. I j V Insome of the prior art mill layouts, it is necessary to stop alloperation when changing rolls or adjusting guides.

, One of the advantages of the present mill layout is that a substantialamount of roll changing or guide changing can be accomplished whilebypassing the mill stands on which roll changing is taking place, and atthe same time FIGURES 2 and 2acomprise a second set of drawings,

drawings.

FIGURE 1a is a fragmentary plan mill layout "of the first form whichshows the portion of the mill at the right of the portion shown inFIGURE 1 of the first set of drawings.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan mill layout showing i the second form ofthe installation of the mill of the invention, illustrating the portionof the mill to the left in the second set of drawings.

FIGURE 2a is a fragmentary plan mill layout showing continuing toproduce useful products from the mill.

, According to the invention, the customer in buying the mill, need makeonly a minimum initial expenditure and still he obtains a useful, basicmill. By two additional steps, the capabilities of the mill can beincreased, both as "to product, types, and size of rolled stock.

In the basic mill of form 1, a roughing mill stand discharges on a milltable to anintermediate continuous mill, which in turn feeds a loopingfinishing mill discharging to asecond mill table which feeds a coolingbed.

I In the second step, advantage is taken ofthe lateral zig-zagconfiguration of the looping finishing mill to permit the installationof a lateral transfer device from the first run-in table, and acontinuous finishing mill is fed by the lateral transfer device whichutilizes the position of the'finishing stand bf thel looping finishingmill, the repeater being slid out of the way. Thus it is possible toroll on the lateral transfer and the continuous finishing mill whilechanging rolls on the intermediate continuous mill and on the early millstands of the looping finishing mill.

In the third form of installation of equipment, a second roughing millstand is introduced and the. number of stands of the intermediatecontinuous mill desirably increased. As a desirable feature also coilingequipment is installed in the third step. t q

Referring now particularly to the first form of installation as shown inFIGURES 1 and 1a, billets are loaded on loading skids 20 and dischargedby feeding mechanism 21 into the paths of double pushers 22 of a doubleslide billet heating furnace 23 well known in the art. At the outlet endof the furnace the billets now heated to hot rolling temperature aredischarged by billet ejector 24 on to run-in table 25 and past billetturnaround 26 all well known in the art. I

Run-in table'25 feeds the billet to roughing rolling mill stand 26'driven in well known manner'by motor 27 and speed reducer 28 underthecontrol of an operator in pulpit StlfThe roughing mill is suitably ofthe threehigh type and has a tilting or lift table 31 as well known inthe art.

, The roughing mill stand 26' discharges the stock to m'ill'table 32which is sometimes referred to herein as the first? mill table, pastcropping shear 33 to mill the equipment of the continuous mill.

The stock passes to looping fininshing mill' il of a character in itselfwell known in the art, which suitably has a first roll stand 42, asecond roll stand 43, a third roll stand 44 and a finishing roll stand45 which are suitably. connected by a transfer guide 46, a firstescapement repeater 47, a first inlet guide 48, a second transfer guide50, a second escapement repeater 51, a second inlet guide 52, a thirdtransfer. guide 53, a third escapement repeater 54, a third inlet guide55, a fourth transfer guide 56, a final escapement repeater 57, a fourthinlet guide 58 and a mill table 60 to a flying shear 61. The mill table6;;19 is sometimes called the second mill table.

For reasons which will later be more clearly set forth,

the repeater 57 is mounted to move laterally out of the way on tracks62sothat it can remain in operative position as shown in FIGURE 1a or beshifted so' as to uncover the inlet side of finishing mill 45. For this.purpose fourth inlet guide 58 is also mounted on track 63 so that itwill. move to the side along with repeater 57 when they are to bedisplaced. .Such track moving repeaters are in themselves well known inthe art.

The mills will be drivenin any suitablemanner of which FIGURE 1a shows asuitable indication.

v A motor 80 drives speed reducer 81 which in turn drives the millstands 42, 43 and 44. Likewise, a motor 82,

" preferably an adjustable speed type, combined with a speed reducerdrives finishing mill stand 45.

The mill table 69 feeds, by suitable kickofi means as are Well known, tocooling bed 83., and from the cooling bed the stock is taken by milltable 84 through cold bar shear 85 to cradles 86 as .well known.

-It will be evident that the mill layout of FIGURES 1 and la is acompletely operatiye mill which is capable of producing many products. Vr

Using an 18 inch three high roughing stand and a 12 inch intermediatecontinuous mill having three stands and a looping finishing mill havingfour stands, typical products are as follows:

Products The second step in the expansion of the mill layout of theinvention contemplates the provision of alternate means forshortcircuiting the intermediate continuous mill and the loopingfinishing mill through another mill which can operate while rollchanging or other adjustments are accomplished on the intermediatecontinuous mill and the looping finishing mill.

Thus, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 2a there is no change in the heatingfurnace setup or in the roughing mill.

mented'to complete the continuous finishing mill byvertical edger 103driven by adjustable speed motor 1M and speed reducer 105. The milltable continues between the continuous finishing. roll'stand 10!) andthe vertical edger 1&3 and beyond the vertical edger 103.

The repeater 57 and the inlet guide 58 move together tothe side out ofthe'way and inlet guide 106 connected thereto moves with them into thepath of the stock cozning from vertical edger 193 to finishing rollstand 45;

' In the preferred embodiment of FIGURE 2a, the continuous finishingmill stand 1% is of larger capacity than the finishing mill stand asused with the looping finishing mill so as to permit finishing materialof larger crosssectional area -.and dimensions than possible with thefinal roll stand of the looping finishing mill. Thus, if the finishingstand 45 when used with the looping finishingmill is a 10 finishingstand, the horizontal mill stand 100 and the vertical edger 103 for thecontinuous finishing mill will conveniently be 14 mills. Then in orderto get the most out of the finishing stand' of' the looping l, finishingmill the 10'. finishing stand 45 is conveniently replaced by a 14"finishing stand when the continuous finishing mill is used, and whichmay be fitted with appropriate rolls and guides prior, to theinterchange.

.Thus there are two alternate procedures available in FIGURES 2 and 2a.The stock may for example pass through a 12". intermediate continuousmill and a 10".

looping finishing. mill, or it may pass through a 14" continuousfinishing mill with a 14" finishing stand in place of the final stand ofthe looping finishing mill. In

the latter case the types of products which can be made will differsomewhat from those .which can bemade from the continuous mill plus thelooping finish-ing mill. EX- amples of the product line'from theintermediate continuous finishing mill and the finishing standof thelooping finishing mill using an 18", three-high roughing stand and .14"mill where required, a 14 vertical mill where required; a 12"intermediate continuous mill, and a looping finishing mill having fourstands, are as follows:

Product Rebars: /2", 4', Ma", 1", 1%"

It will be noted that in making this change-over it is only necessary tochange'from the 10'. to the 14 finishing stand in the looping finishingmill, by bringing in a new roll stand by the crane,

- The mill layout of the invention can be further eX- panded as shown inFIGURES 3, 3av and 3b.

In this instance the heating equipment remains the same but anadditional'zroughing mill stand has been added, connected to aniadditional speed reducer 121 A lateral transfer device 87, well known inthe art,

driven by motor 27, and bar turners have been introduced at 122, 123 and12.4. This permits a more rapid breakdown of the billet, or startingwith larger billets, as desired.

In FIGURE 3a the intermediate continuous mill has been expanded tointroduce an additional mill stand 125 driven from the same speedreducer 38, with corresponding shortening of mill table 32.

Optional coiling equipment 126 has been added including coile-rs 127 topermit taking off coilable rod directly beyond the flying shear 61.

By taking form as shown in FIGURES 2 and 2a, it will be possible tochange much more quickly from one product to another, since thecontinuous finishing mill can be used while the intermediate continuousmill and the remainder of the looping finishing mill are undergoingr-oll changing or other modifications.

Finally, the additional roughing stand and the additional continuousmill stand of the form shown in FIG- URES 3, 3a and 3b will permit theuse of larger billets or the production of smaller rolls from the samesize billets.

If the coilers are added, then of course coiled rod can be produced.

I In some cases it will be more convenient to set up the loopingfinishing mill with the individual mill stands in line-rather than instaggered relationas shown in FIGURE 4, driving from motors and speedreducer-s 81 and 82' at the opposite sides of the looping finishingmill, motor 82 preferably being an adjustable speed type. In othercases, it may be convenient to eliminate the three or tour standintermediate continuous mill.

In view of our invention and disclosure, variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying the structure shown, and we, therefore, claimall such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope ofmy claims.

Having thus described my invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rolling mill layout, a roughing mill, a first mill tablereceiving the stock from the roughing mill, a first finishing mill withinlet in prolongation of the first mill table receiving the stock fromthe first mill table, and having a finishing mill stand laterallydisplaced from the inlet and receiving the stock passing through thefirst finishing mill, a second mill table receiving the output from thefinishing mill stand of the first finishing mill, in combination with alateral transfer device receiving the stock from the first mill tableand transferring the stock laterally before the stock enters the firstfinishing mill, and a continuous finishing mill receiving the stock fromthe lateral transfer device and discharging the stock to the second milltable. I

2. A mill layout of claim 1, in which the continuous finishing mill isof larger capacity than the finishing mill stand of the first finishingmill, in combination with a substitute finishing mill stand for thefirst finishing mill which receives the stock from the continuousfinishing mill and discharges the stock to the second mill table.

3. A mill layout of claim 1, in which the continuous finishing mill isof larger capacity than the finishing stand of the first finishing mill.

4. A mill layout of claim 1, in which the continuous finishing millcomprises a horizontal mill stand and a vertical edger.

5. A mill layout of claim 1, in which the first finishing mill is alooping mill and has a repeater ahead of the finishing stand, incombination with slide means for moving the repeater out of the pathfrom the continuous finishing mill to the finishing stand.

6. A mill layout of claim 5, in which the first finishing mill has aninlet guide between the repeater and the finishing stand, said inletguide moving with said slide means when the repeater moves out of thepath between the continuous finishing mill and said finishing stand.

7. A mill layout of claim 6, in combination with an auxiliary guidemoving with said slide means interposed between said continuousfinishing mill and said finishing stand when said repeater moves out ofsaid path.

8. A mill layout of claim 1, in combination with an additional roughingmill stand on said roughing mill.

9. In a rolling mill layout, a roughing mill, at first mill table inprolongation of the roughing mill, a first finishing mill with inlet inprolongation of the first mill table for receiving the stock from thefirst mill table, a looping finishing mill having an inlet from theoutlet side of the first finishing mill and having a finishing millstand laterally displaced from the inlet and receiving the stock passingthrough the first finishing mill, a second mill table receiving theoutput from the finishing stand of the first finishing mill, incombination with a lateral transfer device receiving the stock from thefirst mill table and trans ferring the stock laterally before the stockenters the first finishing mill and before it enters the loopingfinishing mill, and a continuous finishing mill receiving the stock fromthe lateral transfer device and discharging the stock to the second milltable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,832,113 11/31George -37 1,910,889 5/33 Fisk 8037 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,771 12/57 Italy.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A ROLLING MILL LAYOUT, A ROUGHING MILL, A FIRST MILL TABLERECEIVING THE STOCK FROM THE ROUGHING MILL, A FIRST FINISHING MILL WITHINLET IN PROLONGATION OF THE FIRST MILL TABLE RECEIVING THE STOCK FROMTHE FIRST MILL TABLE, AND HAVING A FINISHING MILL STAND LATERALLYDISPLACED FROM THE INLET AND RECEIVING THE STOCK PASSING THROUGH THEFIRST FINISHING MILL, A SECOND MILL TABLE RECEIVING THE OUTPUT FROM THEFINISHING MILL STAND OF THE FIRST FINISHING MILL, IN COMBINATION WITH ALATERAL TRANSFER DEVICE RECEIVING THE STOCK FROM THE FIRST MILL TABLEAND TRANSFERRING THE STOCK LATERALLY BEFORE THE STOCK ENTERS THE FIRSTFINISHING MILL, AND A CONTINUOUS FINISHING MILL RECEIVING THE STOCK FROMTHE LATERAL TRANSFER DEVICE AND DISCHARGING THE STOCK TO THE SECOND MILLTABLE.